Reclining chair headrest construction



March 6, 1962 A. M. SPOUND 3,024,064

RECLINING CHAIR HEADREST CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 28. 1959 INVENTOR ALBERT MSPOUND ATTORNEY 3,024,464 RECLWING CHAIR HEADREST CONTRU CTIN Albert M. fipountl, Wellesley Hills, Mass. Charlton (30., Fitchburg, Mass.) Filed Dec. 28, 1959, Ser. No. 862,183 9 Claims. (Cl. 297--6I) This invention relates to a new and improved automatic headrest construction for reclining chairs, and the present case is an improvement over the construction illustrated in Patent No. 2,844,992.

The principal object of the invention resides in the provision of an automatic projecting headrest for reclining chairs wherein the headrest is normally concealed and is not visible from the front of the chair, but when the chair backrest is moved towards its reclining position, the headrest by means of the mechanism which is the subject matter of the present invention, is automatically projected upwardly and forwardly into the correct position for supporting the head of the occupant of the chair, and the mechanism includes means whereby the headrest is locked in its upper, exposed, useful condition and cannot wabble in any way nor can it be pushed backwardly directly, but may be retracted only by motion of the chair backrest once more towards sitting position thereof; and the provision of mechanism for providing the locking means automatically, said locking means being unlocked only by a retractive motion of the back rest of the chair and not by any rearward pressure which may be directed toward the headrest itself.

Further objects of the invention reside in the provision of a self-locking headrest projecting mechanism which is substantially fixed and rigid in the projected position thereof so that said headrest is provided with a solid feel and is held better in position against wabbling, etc.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a reclining chair showing the headrest projecting mechanism in its retracted position, parts being omitted to show the construction, and other parts being in section;

FIG. 2 is a view of a part of the mechanism of FIG. 1 illustrated in partly projected position;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the headrest in its fully projected position, with the mechanism locked;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged front view of the apparatus looking in the direction of arrow 4 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 showing the same mechanism in its upward projected position; and

FIGS. 6 and 7 are fragmentary sections on the respective lines as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

This invention relates to any type of reclining chair which has an automatically projected headrest. Some chairs of this type are provided with footrests, reclining backrests, and tilting seats. In order to carry out the objects of the present invention, however, it is only necessary to provide a chair which has a reclining backrest, and this in general is shown indicated by the reference character 10. The seat and other parts may be of any convenient construction.

The backrest It) is pivotally mounted in any way desired with relation to a fixed seat frame 12 which may be provided with a fixed, reclining, or tilting seat arrangement at 14. In any event, it is to be understood that the fixed frame I2 in one way or another carries the reclining backrest and by motion of this backrest, the functions of the headrest projecting mechanism are provided. The headrest itself is generally indicated by the reference numeral 16.

it tat mice 3,24,464 Patented Mar. 6, 1962 Mounted on a pivot as at 18 which may be in turn mounted on a bracket 20 on a fixed part such as the frame 12, there is a generally upright driving rod 22. It will be appreciated that as the seat It tilts toward the rear, the upper end of the driving rod which is indicated at 24- will move relatively upwardly with respect thereto. The driving rod 22 is in the form of a link, being pivoted at 18, and connected to the headrest projecting mechanism at its upper end, at 24.

There is provided a bracket generally indicated at 26, this bracket being fixedly mounted upon the backrest 10 upon some convenient structural member thereof, for instance member 28 as in FIGS. 4 and 5. Of course this structure and the mechanism now to be described is duplicated at the other side edge portion of the backrest and it is to be understood that the two brackets 26 are generally parallel and may be referred to as facing each other, and there may also be two driving rods 22, one at each side of the seat but generally concealed by the upholstery.

Bracket 26 is provided with an upwardly-extending ear 30 which is raised from the surface of the member 2% upon which bracket 26 is mounted. Bracket 26 also has a depending ear 32 which is raised to a greater extent than the ear 30*, see FIGS. 4 and 5. On car 30 there is pivoted a crooked link or bar 34 and this link extends rearwardly (see FIG. 1) terminating in a pivot arrangement 36 mounted on a bracket 38, the bracket 38 being fixedly mounted with respect to the headrest 16.

At a point intermediate its ends but adjacent the pivot point of link 34 to the ear 3! this link is provided with a pivot-pin 40 which extends through the link and mounts a link 42 on a pin 44 extending outwardly therefrom (see FIGS. 4 and 5). The pin 44 carries at the left-hand end thereof of a triangular plate '46 which depends therefrom.

The lower end of the link 42 is provided with a cross pin 48, the other end of which is also connected to the triangular plate 46 as is indicated at 50, and it is to be noted that the pivot point at 40 and the pivot point at 50 are at two of the three corners of the triangular plate 46. The other corner thereof is connected to the upper end of the driving rod 22 as indicated at 24. It will be seen that plate 46 and the link 42 are spaced apart and parallel and they may be held in this position as by a rivet or collar construction of any kind as well known in the art, this being shown at 44 and 48 in FIGS. 6 and 7.

The ear at 32 of the plate 26 provides a pivot support for another link or bar 52, the other end of which is pivotally secured as at 51 to the bracket 38 in spaced relation to the pivot 36 for the link or bar 34. Thus it will be seen that links or bars 34 and 52 form a parallelogram or parallel bar linkage which will raise the headrest 16 from the lowermost concealed position thereof in FIG. 1 through the intermediate position of FIG. 2 to the final fully-exposed and useful position of FIG. 3.

The link 52 is provided with a locking notch 54 at an intermediate position in its upper edge, and in its lower edge link 52 has a locking notch at 56 closely adjacent the pivot point of the link to the car 32. Link 52 is located between plate 46 and link 42 and ,is parallel thereto and always held in between these members.

However, the triangular plate 46 and the link 42 are pivotally mounted about the center at 44 which is fixed with respect to link 34.

When the linkage is in down position as in FIG. 1, the pins 48, 50, crossing the lower edge of link 52, are located in the locking notch 56, FIGS. 1, 2 and 6. If rod 22 should be moved relatively upwardly, as by initiation of a rearward motion of the backrest, then the parallel bar linkage 34 and 52 will have to move in a clockwise direction from the FIG. 1 condition through the FIG. 2

3 to the FIG. 3 condition, and at the initiation of this action from FIG. 1 to FIG. 2, the pin at 48, will remain in the locking notch 56, temporarily connecting rod 22 to both links 34 and 52.

The link 52 is provided with an arcuate lower edge at 58 and this is on a radius with a center in the pivot 40. The notch 56 is made deep enough so that it will retain the pin 48, until the linkage and headrest is in its uppermost position as shown in FIG. 3, at which time, however, the pin 48 is forced out of notch 56 to ride relatively upwardly along the arcuate edge at 58 as shown in FIG. 3. This action provides for the complete actuation or projection of the headrest into the FIG. 3 position during the initial portion only of the rearward motion of the backrest towards reclining position, and further motion of the backrest past the point initially achieved in the FIG. 3 relationship, merely causes the pin 48 to move in an arcuate path along the arcuate edge 58 of the lower parallel bar 52 so that no further forward progress of the headrest is provided. It is of course to be understood that the headrest has reached its final position before the pin 48 leaves the notch at 56 to proceed arcuately upwardly relative thereto as above explained.

Thus it will be seen that the headrest is projected almost immediately upon the initial tilting to the rear of the backrest at but that the backrest may recline even further throughout a large part of the motion thereof Without any further motion being imparted to the headrest, and this of course provides that the occupant is given a support for the back of the neck and head almost instantly when he leans backward in his chair to push the backrest.

However, another function is provided by this construction and that is that pin 48 effectively locks the headrest in the projected position thereof. Looking at FIGS. 3 and 7, any pressure to the left or downwardly on the headrest 16 will not result in any motion thereof because the pin 48 is in the Way of the link 52 which cannot move downwardly at all. The only way in which this action can be achieved is for the driving rod to be lowered relative to link 52 and therefore releasing the locking action of pin 48 relative to link 52 by moving pin 48 from arcuate edge 58 into notch 56. After this locking action has been released by pin 48 re-entering the notch 56, then continued relative lowering of the driving rod 22 results in bringing the headrest back down to the FIG. 1 position.

As a matter of fact, the pin 48 is located so close to the arcuate edge of plate 52 that it is an instantaneous lock and also for that reason provides and ensures against any wabbling action at all of the headrest 16 so that the entire headrest construction when projected is extremely rigid and cannot be wabbled, nor can it be retracted except by once more causing the backrest 10 to move forwardly towards its seated position as above explained.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. An article. of furniture comprising a frame, a backrest pivotably mounted on said frame for motion between reclining and sitting positions thereof, a movable headrest associated with said backrest, a pair of links arranged in a general parallel arrangement, each link being pivotally associated with the backrest at corresponding ends and with the headrest at the opposite ends thereof, and means for moving said links to move the headrest between an exposed useful condition in reclining position of the backrest and a retracted inutile position when the backrest is in sitting position, said driving means comprising an elongated member pivotally associated with the frame and with said linkage, a plate pivoted to one-link intermediate the ends thereof and having a releasable engagement with the other link, said driving member being pivoted to said plate at a point spaced from the pivot-point of said plate with respect to said one link, interengaging means on said plate and said other link maintaining the driving member in operative engagement with respect to said links, means disengaging the interen-gaging means upon the termination of the motion of the headrest towards useful position, and means forming a lost-motion device for continued motion of said driving member with respect to said links and to said headrest so that the chair may continue its reclining action without any further motion of said headrest relative to the backrest.

2. The article of furniture recited in claim 1 including means to interlock said lost-motion device and the plate to lock the headrest in its raised position so that it cannot be retracted except upon actuation of the elongated member in the opposite direction to retract the plate from the lost-motion device.

3.'The article of furniture recited in claim 1 wherein said lost-motion device and the plate interengage to lock the headrest in its raised position so that it cannot be retracted except upon actuation of the elongated member in the opposite direction to retract the plate from the lostmotion device, said lost-motion device including an arcuate edge on said other link and a projection on said plate, there being a notch in the edge of said other link adjacent one end of said arcuate portion, the headrest being locked when said projection is engaged with the arcuate portion of said other link.

4. The article of furniture recited in claim 1 wherein said lost-motion device also acts to lock the headrest in its raised position so that it cannot be retracted except upon actuation of the driving member in the opposite direction, said lost-motion device including an arcuate edge on said other link, and a projection on said plate, and a notch in the edge of said link adjacent one end of said arcuate portion, the headrest being locked only when said projection is engaged with said arcuate portion of said other link, said arcuate edge having a radius the center of which is in the axis of the connection between the plate and the one link.

5. An article of furniture comprising a frame, a backrest uni-t pivotally mounted on said frame for disposition between a reclining position and a sitting position, a headrest associated with said unit, means including a parallelogram type of linkage for mounting said headrest for projection from said backrest member from a retracted, substantially concealed position to exposed useful condition, operating means for the linkage for automatically projecting the headrest upon pivoting of said unit from sitting position to reclining position, means controlling the operating means to provide for the projection of the headrest to function only during the initial motion of the backrest from sitting position toward reclining position, the relation of the headrest and backrest remaining constant during the remainder of the motion of the backrest to reclining position, releasable means locking the headrest in fully projected position thereof, said locking means including a radius member associated with the linkage and providing a combined locking and lost-motion device during the said remainder of the motion of the backrest, a swinging plate having a swinging motion relative to the radius member, and an operative connection between the swinging plate and the linkage.

6. A reclining chair comprising a stationary frame and a backrest unit having a body-supporting surface, said unit being swingably mounted on the frame for disposition between a seating position and a reclining position, a headrest movably mounted on said unit, said headrest receiving the headrest in substantially concealed position therein behind the body-supporting surface, means including a parallelogram type linkage for projecting said headrest from said concealed position upon swinging motion of the backrest unit from seating to reclining position, said means comprising a driving member pivotally associated with said stationary frame and operatively connected to said linkage, and means locking the headrest in projected position, said locking means including a swinging plate on one link of the linkage, said plate being connected to the driving member, and interengag ing means between the plate and another link of the linkage.

7. A reclining chair comprising a stationary frame and a backrest unit having a body-supporting surface, said unit being swingably mounted on the frame for disposition between a seating position and a reclining position, a headrest movably mounted on said unit, said headrest receiving the headrest in substantially concealed position therein behind the body-supporting surface, means including a parallelogram type linkage for projecting said headrest from said concealed position upon swinging motion of the backrest unit from seating to reclining position, said means comprising a driving member pivotally associated with said stationary frame and operatively connected to said linkage, and means locking the headrest in projected position, said locking means including a swinging plate on one link of the linkage, said plate being (connected to the driving member, and interengaging means between the plate and another link of the linkage, said plate having a path of swing about its axis on the one link, and the other link having an arcuate edge in conformance thereto.

8. An article of furniture comprising a frame, a seat. a backrest pivotably mounted on said frame for motion between reclining and sitting positions thereof, a movable headrest associated with said backrest, a pair of links arranged in a general parallel arrangement, each link being pivotally associated with the backrest at corresponding ends and with the headrest at the opposite ends thereof, and means for moving said links to move the headrest between an exposed condition in reclining position of the backrest and a retracted position when the backrest is in sitting position, said driving means comprising an elongated member pivotally associated with the frame, a plate pivoted to one link intermediate the ends thereof, said driving member being pivoted to said plate at a point spaced from the pivot-point of said plate with respect to said one link, interengaging means on said plate and said other link maintaining the driving member in operative engagement with respect to both links, said interengaging means including a notch on the other link and a projection on the plate, the projection becoming automatically disengaged from the notch upon the termination of the motion of the headrest and the links to exposed position of the headrest, forming a lost-motion device for continued motion of said driving member with respect to said links and to said headrest so that the chair may continue its reclining action without any action with respect to said headrest.

9. The article of furniture of claim 8 including an arcuate edge on the other link adjacent the notch, the projection on the plate moving along the arcuate edge in locking engagement therewith during the operation of the lost-motion device.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 467,756 Sandburg Jan. 26, 1892 2,884,992 Spound et al May 5, 1959 

